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Day: January 23, 2020

Birding Tips For Campers

Birding Tips For Campers

Do you love bird watching? The diversity of birds is one of the reasons people love to watch birds. There are 914 bird species in the USA and Canada alone. Bird lovers don’t just chase after common birds. They go for the rarest species. Most bird watchers are usually fans of traveling. They usually use their RVs to cross various states in their search for the rarest birds. This is why avid bird watchers use their RVs to experience the travel-friendly lifestyles.

You can easily travel to different places without missing the comfort of your home in an RV. For bird lovers without an RV, getting a camping tent is a great idea. Here, you get to camp deep in the woods and catch the rare species birds early in the morning. For most people, bird camping is getting a good bird watching binoculars and heading to the woods. However, you can make the experience funnier. Below, we discuss some birding tips for campers. These are tips that can make the birding experience enjoyable.

Get your gears ready

Unlike most hobbies outdoor activities like camping, birding does not require a lot of gear. All that one needs is a good pair of bird watching binoculars. For persons new to bird watching, most birds might look similar. However, with a closer look using a binocular, you can easily see distinctive features that the naked eyes cannot see. This is where the fun with bird watching comes in. You can clearly see minor differences in terms of feather colors.

Next, you need to have a book about birds with pictures on most bird species. The book will act as a guide of the birds in the specific camping ground. You can also have an extra notebook where you can take notes of the bird features. Note the special and unique features in the birds and compare them with what you have in your guide about books. You can always tick birds that you’ve watched and move to the next species.

Extra bird watching gears include things like waterproof notebooks, clothing and other essentials you might need on the camping trip.

Learn the secret of bird watching

There are several instances where you only hear bird calls without seeing it. This is why you need to perform prior research and decide on different bird species and their calls. You can also make use of the increasingly popular bird apps in the market. Bird apps like iBird Explorer Pro are popular tools that can help identify bird sounds. Holding your phone high towards the bird noise can help identify the species producing that sound.

This is a great feature that helps take the guesswork out of your birding experience. You can also enter details about the bird’s location, habitat, and size of the bird.

Learn bird watching etiquette

Even before heading into the wild, you need to learn and understand some basic rules on bird watching. Most bird watching rules are pretty simple but highly ignored. These are unwritten rules but it is worth knowing them before heading out to the field.

The first rule is to avoid loud noises. This is because loud noises will scare birds away. This is crucial especially when with other members that are looking to see the bird. You need to stay as quiet as possible. The only exception to this rule is using bird calling whistles to attract specific birds your way. You can also play a recording of the sound on your phone and play to attract the bird. However, when doing this, make sure you’re not infringing on other bird watchers.

You also need to respect other wildlife and their habitat. Make sure you don’t chase birds or other animals away. You should also avoid capturing any bird.

Join local bird clubs and organize tours

One of the best ways to enjoy bird watching is to do it with fellow bird watchers. You can do this by joining local bird clubs and organizing tours together. This is a great way to know some of the best birding grounds.

Buy a journal and take notes

If you’re looking to get serious about bird watching, then buy a journal and take notes while in the field. You need to write down your observation after watching every bird. Some of the notes to take down include the following:

  • The general size and shape of the bird
  • Distinctive markings and colors
  • Beak and facial characteristics
  • The size and shape of the wing
  • Flight patterns

In addition, you can take note of the bird’s location, habitat, and the bird’s call.

Final verdict

A little research and planning are crucial to an enjoyable bird watching experience. You need to know the bird migratory patterns and destinations. This also helps one maximize their knowledge and make the bird watching experience fun and enjoyable.